Guest GreytMuse Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 (edited) Steven started pacing, panting and stretching last night around 5 pm when I got home from work. He wouldn't lay down for more than about 2 minutes in anyone place. I finally got concerned (actually, scared is more accurate) enough to take him to the new e-vet about a mile from my house around 7 pm. She gave him a good feeling over, and could not find any reason, any point of pain, any anything to tell us what was causing his obvious distress. After a very restless night back home, he vomited and had awful diarrhea first thing this morning, and vomited again sometime during the morning while I was gone. I had to leave him to go to work, probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do... If I hadn't taken off two days ago for my own health reasons, I would have called in sick, but my job is just not that secure. We have a 4 pm appointment with our regular vet. Poor Steven is just so listless now, will only take sips of water and seems to be in pain. Please keep us in your thoughts that this is only a stomach bug, something that will pass quickly. Seeing someone you love in pain is just about the most awful feeling in the world. Edited October 6, 2008 by GreytMuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDog Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Wishing Steven good luck Quote Lisa with Finnegan (Nina's Fire Fly) and Sage (Gil's Selma). Always missing Roscoewww.popdogdesigns.net pop art prints, custom portraits and collars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SoulsMom Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Oh no!! Keeping him in my thoughts. How very scary. The E-vet could not do anything at all for him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Be worth a quick x-ray just to make sure there's no foreign bodies in there. Hugs and luck to you! Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Lots of prayers for Steven. How very scary for you. Please keep us posted Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xan Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 What Batmom said!! Let us know! Quote My Inspirations: Grey Pogo, borzoi Katie, Meep the cat, AND MY BELOVED DH!!!Missing Rowdy, Coco, Brilly, Happy and Wabi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trevdog Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I 2nd the xray.....that's very much the way Dallas acted when she had eaten a piece of toy that got lodged in her stomach just at her intestines. They couldn't see it on the xray either, but did a barium test and none of it passed. Ended up in surgery where they were able to push it through without opening her tummy..... I'm surprised the evet didn't at least xray.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytMuse Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Well, we're back from the vet. Thank you so much for your good thoughts. We sent off fecal, blood and urine samples and should have results back in the morning -- his physical exam was completely normal, no dehydration, no pain anywhere when palpated, but he did have just a slightly elevated temp, which leads the vet to think it's probably a bacterial or viral bug. Hopefully our lab tests will show nothing out of the ordinary. I was given Nux Vomica, Diarrheal and Rescue Remedy to try and make him comfortable for the night (hippie drugs! ) I'll update later when our results come in -- your continued well wishes are definitely appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Continued prayers for Steven. I'm so surprised to hear a vet give someone Rescue Remedy. Hoping for a very comfortable night for this boy Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Just a thought, but any mushrooms growing in your yard? There've been some instances of mushroom poisoning around here due to the wet weather we've had this summer... Quote Laurie **& Angels Emily, Beatrice, Okie, Rhemus ,Vixen, and Rose-always in my heart** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytMuse Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 (edited) Thursday night - Update: My vet's office called to tell me our test results came back with lots of high numbers (see below), and I was given a referral to an internal med vet for Friday in Dallas. Since my vet is out of the office tomorrow (again, but that's a story for Soap Box...), he suggested I come by and get the test results, and that we go to the e-vet for fluids tonight for Steven. Right after I hung up with the vet's office, Steven started peeing blood. We took off immediately for the e-vet, where we found out that Steven now has a fever of 104.5 and they are keeping him overnight for x-rays and further tests. Poor boy has lost 4 pounds in 3 days. I feel so lost without him here. The e-vet just called as I was typing this -- all x-rays are neg for anything weird, his test for pancreatitis is negative, and she is starting him on doxycycline (sp?), and ampicillin, as well as IV fluids to rehydrate him. They are hoping to bring his fever down. She said when she sees a greyhound that TBDs are the first thing she suspects, so apparently the doxy is for that, just in case? Here are his test results, I welcome any insights. Blood results out of the normal ranges: WBC - 21.4 (norm: 4.0 - 15.5) RBC, HGB and HCT all high but barely. Neutrophils - 20116 (norm: 2060 - 10600) Platelets - 147 (norm: 170-400) AST (SGOT) - 198 (norm: 15-66) ALT (SGPT) - 470 (norm: 12-118) Total Bilirubin - 0.5 (norm: 0.1-0.3) GCT - 15 (norm: 1-12) T4 (RIA) - 0.37 (norm: 1.0- 4.0) Urine results out of the normal ranges: Color - orange Appearance - cloudy Spec Grav - 1.060 (norm: 1.015-1.050) pH - 8.5 (norm: 5.5 - 7.0) Protein - 3+ (norm: negative) Bilirubin - 2+ (norm: negative to 1+) Occult Blood - 3+ (norm: negative) WBC/HPF - 4-10 (norm: 0-3) RBC/HBF - 21-50 (norm: 0-3) A photo of my sweet Steven: Edited October 3, 2008 by GreytMuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newgreymom Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Poor Steven! Prayers coming your way!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remolacha Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I hope they can pin this down and get him feeling better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Poor guy! Keeping you guys in my prayers. Quote Laurie **& Angels Emily, Beatrice, Okie, Rhemus ,Vixen, and Rose-always in my heart** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest StriderDog Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Thinking good thoughts. C'mon Steven - feel better!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest houndlover Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Poor Steven. What a sweet pic of him. I know it is hard not to have him with you tonite but hopefully the vet will be able to figure out what is going on with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhndz Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Here are his test results, I welcome any insights. I hope I can be of help. I'm a human medical person but a great deal of human medicine can be applied in this situation. Blood results out of the normal ranges: WBC - 21.4 (norm: 4.0 - 15.5) Can be elevated due to acute infection, stress, inflammation. Given his temp, most likely infection. RBC, HGB and HCT all high but barely. Commonly elevated when a dog is dehydrated. And remember these values tend to be higher in greyhounds. Neutrophils - 20116 (norm: 2060 - 10600) Again, prob. reflective of infection. Platelets - 147 (norm: 170-400) Isn't low enough to be causing blood in urine or other bleeding but bears watching. AST (SGOT) - 198 (norm: 15-66) ALT (SGPT) - 470 (norm: 12-118) Total Bilirubin - 0.5 (norm: 0.1-0.3) GCT - 15 (norm: 1-12) Elevated (not markedly, though) - suggests possible liver inflammation, infection. Was there a value listed for alkaline phosphotase? T4 (RIA) - 0.37 (norm: 1.0- 4.0) Appears low, but should be confirmed with a complete thyroid panel, either with Jean Dodds at Hemopet, or Michigan state, Urine results out of the normal ranges: Color - orange Appearance - cloudy Spec Grav - 1.060 (norm: 1.015-1.050) ----> Indicates concentration of urine, high due to dehydration pH - 8.5 (norm: 5.5 - 7.0) ---> A bit alkaline. Sometimes seen with UTIs Protein - 3+ (norm: negative) ---> Very important to work this up with a urine culture and a urine protein creatinine ratio (done by sending urine sample to lab). But can also see elevated protein in UTI. Bilirubin - 2+ (norm: negative to 1+) Occult Blood - 3+ (norm: negative) WBC/HPF - 4-10 (norm: 0-3) -----> suggestive of UTI RBC/HBF - 21-50 (norm: 0-3) -----> no surprise since he was peeing frank blood. In the Blood chemistry, what were the BUN and creatinine? Was there blood in the stool? Did they send the stool for culture and analysis? A photo of my sweet Steven: ----> what a love! Some possibilities: urinary tract infection glomerulonephritis - kidney inflammation, can occur with TBD, autoimmune disease, chronic renal disease, etc. Hepatitis - from meds? From toxic ingestion? Component of a systemic infection? TBD Acute gastroenteritis - campylobacter, salmonella, other parasitic, bacterial or viral origin. Please keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyglo Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Keeping your precious Steven in my prayers - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytMuse Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 (edited) Steven went to the greyhound-savvy GALT vet today. The doctor did an ultrasound on him and said she sees fluid in his stomach, where there should be none, and a 'fuzziness' by his pancreas on the x-rays. All of his liver values are very high on the blood test still, and he is still running a fever, urinating blood and is dehydrating again, so we are going to have him be stabilized at the emergency animal hospital for the weekend, then have him transferred to a specialist on Monday morning. In the meantime, they'll do a more thorough ultrasound, do more x-rays, keep him on IV antibiotics and fluids, and we'll await the results of the tick panel they sent off. She's mostly concerned that there is a mass in his stomach and warned me that exploratory surgery is a very real possiblility. I am so scared and worried, and just want my silly boy back. Steven is so listless and sad, with barely enough energy to walk around. Five years old is just too young to be so sick. Edited to add: Thank you for your support. It really helps to know there are people who care and understand. Edited October 3, 2008 by GreytMuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Crap. Was hoping for better news, as I'm sure you were. Sending lots of hugs and lots of prayers for your sweet handsome boy. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GreytMuse Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 I called to check on Steven's night just now. They said he still isn't eating ( nothing since Tuesday), but his fever has come down in response to the antibiotics. I'll take any bit of good news I can find! I'm going to make some chicken and rice and take it up there this morning, maybe that will entice him to eat something. The doctor mentioned this morning that Steven's spleen had also looked enlarged on the ultrasound and x-rays. The vet had told me that and I completely forgot. I think my mind heard the word "possible mass" and just completely shut down to everything else that was said. Please keep us in your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greyt2love Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Checking in on Mr. Adorable Steven. I hope he eats soemthing for you and that thay can find what is wrong and get him feeling better quickly. What a sad weekend for you . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wmlcml6 Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 That is a beautiful picture of Steven. I hope the vets can determine what is wrong and treat him. I know it's scary, but I've had some on the brink of death that are alive and very healthy now. HOld on to that. Praying helps a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricia Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Sending love and more prayers for your sweet baby boy. Quote Patti-Mommy of Lady Sophia 7-28-92 - 8-3-04... LaceyLaine 8-2-94-12-5-07... Flash Gordon 7-14-99 - 8-29-09... BrookLynne...Pavé Maria... and 18 Bridge Kids. WATCHING OVER US~SOPHIA~QUEENIE~LACEY LAINE~ CODY ANGELO~FLASH GORDON. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest p51crazyhorse Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 OH Courtney!!!! I just saw this today! I am so sorry to hear about your sweet Steven, I hope that everything turns out ok! keep us posted. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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